San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913

The Daily Aztec

San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913

The Daily Aztec




San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913

The Daily Aztec

Tritons, weather, and delays are no match for Aztec swim

Season-opening win over University of San Diego extends Aztec dual meet unbeaten streak to 37.
An+Aztec+swimmer+completes+a+freestyle+stroke+during+warm+ups+at+the+first+swim+event+of+the+season+at+the+Aztec+Aquaplex+on+Sept.+9%2C+2022.+Six+months+later%2C+the+Aztecs+were+crowned+Mountain+West+Conference+Champions.+
Isabella Biunno
An Aztec swimmer completes a freestyle stroke during warm ups at the first swim event of the season at the Aztec Aquaplex on Sept. 9, 2022. Six months later, the Aztecs were crowned Mountain West Conference Champions.

After a strong 2021 season that included a Mountain West Championship, the San Diego State women’s swim team battled both the conditions and the University of San Diego in their 33-19 pentathlon victory on Friday at a rainy Aztec Aquaplex. 

The win extends the Aztecs dual meet winning streak to 37, as the Aztecs have not lost a dual meet in more than four years. 

“I think the good lord’s blessed our team,” head coach Mike Shrader said with a smile. “We’ve got a bunch of young ladies that work really hard on the diving boards and in the pool. Our senior class this year and our captains have great leadership, so it makes my job easy.” 

The Aztecs dominated the Tritons as SDSU finished with at least the top four finishers in every event. The teams swam 100m races in freestyle, butterfly, breaststroke, backstroke and an individual medley to go along with 50m races in free, fly, breast and back. 

A standout swimmer was senior Kristina Murphy, who finished second in 100m free and 100m fly, first in 100m breaststroke and 100m medley, and seventh in 100m backstroke 

“It was nice to get out and race again,” Murphy said. “It’s just nice to be back with a new team, so it was a great start to the season.” 

While the Aztecs made it look easy in the pool, there were still some hiccups throughout the meet. Tropical Storm Kay brought wind and rain to San Diego on Friday and timing malfunctions led to multiple delays early in the meet. Despite the delays, the Aztecs kept energy high, dancing with teammates and listening to music to keep their nerves low and spirits high. 

“I think a lot of that is just like our team camaraderie,” Murphy said. “Outside of the pool we are all really great friends, so we are all there for each other no matter what.” 

After finishing first in the Mountain West in 2019, 2020, and 2022, the Aztecs hope to stand alone at the top of the conference. It’s a long road to the conference championships in February, but Shrader is confident his team will continue working and peak at the right time. 

“We’ve been working really hard and the two things I look for, attitude and effort, have been phenomenal,” Coach Shrader said. “They’re really working on their consistency, which is the other part of that, so we’re really excited right now. It’s a very nice start for us.” 

The Aztecs will compete again next month at Pepperdine on Oct. 6, so they have a couple weeks to continue to train and shave more seconds off their swims. 

About the Contributors
Justin Cox, '22-23 Sports Editor
Justin Cox (he/him) is a senior journalism major from Sonoma, California. He is excited to be a Co-Sports Editor of The Daily Aztec for the 2022-23 academic year. Previously, Cox was a sports section staff writer covering a multitude of Aztec sports including basketball, water polo, soccer and tennis. He is excited to head the sports section alongside Co-Editor Morgan Prickett with the hopes of providing fresh and engaging content for the student body. Before coming to The Daily Aztec, Cox spent time as an intern for the Sonoma Index-Tribune covering local news and was also published in the Sonoma Sun newspaper. Cox can often be found watching sports, running or going to the beach in his free time. 
Isabella Biunno, '23-24 Photo Editor
Isabella Biunno (she/her/hers) is a photographer for The Daily Aztec. She is originally from Las Vegas, Nevada where she was a part of yearbook and publications for nearly six years. She is a first-year Psychology major with an emphasis in neuroscience, and she plans to go to graduate school for Occupational Therapy. She loves photography, editing, and creating, and she can’t wait to continue shooting content for the DA. One thing she is passionate about outside of photojournalism is being involved in the disability/Autism community. She is a part of SDSU’s Adapted Athletics club, and she worked as an Instructor at a company back home called Inclusion Fusion where she was able to work with people with disabilities. Although her career-related passions fall in the healthcare field, she enjoys taking pictures and covering photo events just as much. She looks forward to expanding her experience as a photographer as well as capturing some astounding shots this year.
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San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913
Tritons, weather, and delays are no match for Aztec swim